The green revolution and the changes in the way energy is being produced, managed, distributed and used is powering a chain reaction, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits. A journey that also involves our power plants. In fact, we have set a goal for ourselves to make the most of our industrial heritage and give a second life to the thermoelectric power plant sites through a process of repurposing and new development based on the key principals of the circular economy, sustainability, innovation and sharing with communities and local institutions.

A circular, innovative approach shared with the territory

The priority of repurposing power plants is to make the most of existing assets so that they can become innovative integrated hubs, where diverse technologies coexist to accelerating the energy transition, especially energy storage systems and new renewable sources. As in the case of the Alessandro Volta power plant in Montalto di Castro, for example, where, along with energy development, there will be a factory that produces trackers, devices that allow photovoltaic panels to turn to face the sun over the course of a day.

Another example of requalification is in Augusta, where an innovative research laboratory for use by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and The Science and Technology Park of Sicily (PSTS) has been created within the site, along with a new solar plant built by Enel Green Power. This, too, is an exemplary evidence to the wide-ranging synergies, based on proactive and ongoing collaborations with the scientific community, the business sector and local citizens, that are helping to accelerate the Country's energy transition.

Where, on the other hand, the potential for new development in the energy field is not present or only partially present, we are working to identify business projects in different sectors to be integrated into the plant sites. Examples range from logistics to sustainable tourism, like in Porto Tolle, which will become an innovative tourist hub in a UNESCO World Heritage Site area.

It is a virtuous circle, based on partnerships and collaborations, which is self-sustaining and contributes to the growth of Italy thanks to the commitment of all the stakeholders involved.

Energy enters a new dimension

The energy transition that we are leading involves the redesigning of power plants to make them more sustainable and more circular. For this reason, we have launched four contests to find architectural solutions that can transform plants into modern and efficient infrastructures.

Through this initiative, we involved local stakeholders, architects and designers, focusing on technological innovation, sustainability and circular economy.

This represents precisely the cultural dimension of the energy transformation: not just the involvement of one single company or professional category, but an all-encompassing process that is transversal across generations, economic segments and skills, and that can only be achieved through a synergic, collective action.